A senior leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the West Bank criticized Sunday that Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' presidential decree to postpone the legislative election contradicts with the reached agreements with various factions.

Hassan Yousef told reporters that during the national dialogue that was held in Cairo in March, it was agreed to hold the legislative election on July 17.

There was a possibility to remove all obstacles and end the crisis and hold the election on time since it has been about three months since we had our agreement in Cairo, said Yousef.

What did they delayed things until we were pushed to the corner and be obliged to accept the postponement, he questioned, adding that Hamas insists that elections should be held on time according to the reached agreements.

The Hamas leader said that the Palestinians can go for election on time as it was agreed upon on July 17, even by following the same election law that was used in the first parliamentary election in 1996.

The Palestinian people are so much concerned over the issue of postponing the election, said Yousef, adding veryone knows that election can change the current Palestinian reality.

Yousef said that the Palestinian people should chose a new leadership to end all aspects of corruption and resolve the errors that were created over the past few years.

Hamas, the largest Palestinian Islamic group bent on Israel's destruction, has shown a good performance in the latest municipal elections.

The group has posed a grave challenge to the long-dominant Fatah movement now led by Abbas and seen by some Palestinians as ridden with corruption.

The Saturday decision by Abbas to delay the legislative elections was seen as a move to allow Fatah more time to prepare for a major challenge in the upcoming parliamentary elections posed by Hamas.

Source: Xinhua